1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a collapsible divider for rectangular shipping boxes, and more particularly to an independent divider that forms four compartments and is selfstanding once erected in a box.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Independent, collapsible dividers that are erected and inserted in a shipping box to divide the box into compartments are well known in the prior art. A well known divider of this type is the so-called "H-divider", getting its name from the shape of the horizontal projection of the divider. The H-divider divides a rectangular shipping box in two compartments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,312 discloses an improved embodiment of an H-divider.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,507 discloses a partition structure formed from a one-piece blank of foldable sheet material for providing three cells of approximately equal length and width arranged in side-by-side relation within an outer wrapper or shipping container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,842 discloses a partition member also defining three compartments in a rectangular shipping case. This member is made from a unitary blank of foldable sheet material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,518 discloses a three cell divider for a rectangular box, formed from a unitary blank of foldable sheet material.
A four cell divider, well known in the art, consists of two blanks of corrugated paperboard or similar material, each having a slot situated on its symmetry axis, extending for approximately half the depth of the blank. The width of the slots approximately match the thickness of the blank for easy assembly. A disadvantage of this cell divider is that it tends to collapse once erected and inserted in a box, hindering proper loading of the box.
To overcome these shortcomings different propositions have been made. U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,185 to Peters discloses a structure for locking partitions in open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,332 to Collins discloses a carton divider with a tab flexibly attached to the inner end of a slot extending in one of the blanks forming the partition and a laterally arcing inner portion at the end of the other partition slot.